Worst Fear
by hawkjan
Summary: Jack and Kate's 8 year old son Ryan is missing. Could it be another Kimnapping? What will they do to get him back? This story picks up 8 years after "Jack and Kate-Another Chance?" Complete. Please let me know what you think!
1. Hero Worship

Jack and Kate – Worst Fear  
  
This story is set 8 years after "Jack and Kate – Another Chance?"  
  
**Chapter 1:**  
  
"Ryan, supper!" Kate called from the kitchen.  
  
There was no answer. Ryan's room was upstairs, so sometimes he couldn't hear her calling, or chose to ignore it, Kate wasn't sure which. She climbed the stairs and headed towards her eight year old son's room.  
  
She heard voices coming from his room, remembering that his friends Tommy and Jake had come over earlier to play. She went to his partially closed door and peeked in at the kids who were sprawled on the floor playing Nintendo.  
  
"Yes he did, my daddy saved the world." Ryan bragged.  
  
Kate smiled and leaned back against the doorway to listen, folding her arms across her chest.  
  
Another voice protested, "He did not, he probably just sits behind a desk just like my dad."  
  
Ryan defended Jack again, "Yes he did, my dad is a federal agent, and he saved the President and found a bomb and stopped terists from killing people with a virus, my sister told me so."  
  
Kate made a mental note to talk to Kim; she didn't want her to scare Ryan with stories from their father's past. She didn't want to open that particular can of worms until Ryan was much older.  
  
The two other kids laughed, "So, what, he's like 007?"  
  
Ryan answered, "Yep, and he carries a gun, and he's used it to."  
  
The room went quiet. Kate assumed the kids were listening now. She should interrupt with her "dangers of guns" speech, but didn't.  
  
"My dad is the bravest man ever. Kim said he saved her when she was kidnapped and he can even fly a helicopter."  
  
Kate smiled again, she also thought Jack was the bravest man she ever knew.  
  
The helicopter part must have done it. The kids were finally impressed and wanted to know more. "So, does he have a helicopter?" "Can we ride in it?"  
  
Ryan responded with authority, "No, but he flies the one at work ALL the time and Kim has been on one too."  
  
Since Jack took back his job as director of CTU, he had rarely been asked out into the field, a fact that relieved her immensely. Kate couldn't remember the last time that Jack was called on to fly a helicopter, but she let Ryan continue.  
  
"I'll ask my dad, maybe he can take us flying sometime." Then he pronounced, "I am going to be an agent just like my dad when I grow up."  
  
Alarm bells went off in Kate's head; she loved Jack, but wished that their only son would pick a safer profession. Perhaps his idolization of his father will wane when he enters his teen years. Right now, Ryan thought Jack walked on water. He had become obsessed lately with Jack's job and spent hours asking him questions.  
  
Kate heard a voice downstairs, "Kate, Ryan, I'm home!" It was Jack. She hurried from Ryan's doorway before she was caught listening and went downstairs.  
  
She hugged Jack tightly and said, "I think you need to have a talk with your son. Now he is telling his friends that you're James Bond."  
  
Jack grinned back at her, "Really?" He secretly loved the fact that Ryan thought he was a hero, but Kate's face let him know she was serious.  
  
He relented, "Ok, I'll talk to him." Then he leaned in to kiss her, "I really missed you today."  
  
She kissed him back. "Me too."  
  
The embraced and continued kissing until they heard some giggles and voices on the stairs, "Ewww, gross!"  
  
Ryan ran over and hugged Jack, "Daddy, you're home."  
  
He ruffled Ryan's short blonde hair and said, "Hey, Sport. Hi Tommy, Jake." They looked up at Jack with wide eyes, "Is it true that you know how to fly a helicopter?"  
  
Jack chuckled, "Yes, it is. But I don't fly too much anymore." He looked at Ryan and said, "Time for dinner, Tommy and Jake need to go now."  
  
"Ok, dad." He walked them to the door and Jack heard him say, "See, I told you so."  
  
Eight-year-old Ryan looked remarkably like his father, with similar facial features and mannerisms. Kate thought he looked like a miniature Jack since the only part of him she recognized coming from her was his bright blue eyes. He was tall for his age and already athletic and surprisingly muscular. He excelled at any sport he tried, but was having a hard time with math and spelling in school, something else he had inherited from Jack.  
  
Jack, Kate, and Ryan were in the middle of dinner when the phone rang. Jack got up to answer it.  
  
"Bauer."  
  
He paused, and then responded, "Ok, I'll be there in a few minutes."  
  
Ryan glanced at Jack on the phone, and then asked Kate, "Can I be excused? I'm going to ride my bike a little till it gets dark."  
  
"Sure honey, be careful." Ryan ran off and went out the front door.  
  
Jack listened to the voice on the other end of the phone for a few more minutes, and then hung up and looked apologetically at Kate.  
  
She knew it was CTU, they had been through this many times before. She sighed, "I know, you'll be home soon."  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
Note: It starts a little slow, but I promise it will pick up! 


	2. More Terrorists

**Chapter 2**  
  
He had been called into work late many times in the past eight years, but Kate could never get used to it. There was always the possibility that he would be lured back into the field, Jack was never one to let others take charge of what he thought he should do. Then there was also the strong possibility that he wouldn't come home at all. Kate feared that Jack had already used up eight of his nine lives.  
  
Jack had changed his clothes and was ready to leave, "I'll be home as soon as I can." He hugged her and kissed her head and asked, "Where's Ryan, I want to say goodbye?"  
  
Saying goodbye to Jack every morning was easier; she could pretend he held a normal nine to five office job. So Kate hated these goodbyes at night the most. It usually meant that she would be sleeping alone and that he could be in danger, despite his promises to be careful.  
  
"He went out to ride his bike, I'll tell him you said bye."  
  
"Ok, see you soon." He gave her one last kiss, then turned to leave.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
He looked back at her, "Yeah?"  
  
"Be careful." She couldn't stop worrying about him every time he left the house.  
  
"I will." Jack left the house through the garage door and started up his new Expedition. He reversed the car, then headed back to CTU.  
  
As soon as he walked in, he noticed that Michelle, Kim, and Chase, as well as the rest of his team had all been called in. He motioned them to join him in the conference room.  
  
"Give me a status update."  
  
Michelle was ready, "Well, we don't have very much yet. We received a call about thirty minutes ago from a group claiming to have taken over the Franklin Hydroelectric Power Station at 1298 Beverly Drive."  
  
"Have you confirmed?"  
  
"Yeah, BHPD and LAPD arrived on scene and confirmed that there are several armed people inside and around it with several hostages. The doors seem to be wired with explosives. They are setting up a perimeter now."  
  
"Who are they?"  
  
Kim punched some keys on her computer and a map came up on the large screen on the wall. She explained, "We think they are from this small country, here." She pointed to a spot on the map. "The country was formed a couple of years ago when they split along religious lines, their government has been very unstable since and has been involved in guerilla warfare with most of the surrounding countries."  
  
"Ok, what are their terms?"  
  
"We don't know yet. But Jack, it gets worse." Jack looked up from his notes at Michelle. He didn't like the look on her face.  
  
Michelle took a deep breath and continued, "They claim to have bombs planted at twenty other power plants in the Los Angeles area as well as another twenty scattered around the country and five more in Washington, D.C."  
  
"Do you think they are serious?"  
  
Chase spoke up, "Yeah, they blew up the UCLA South Campus Central substation about the same time the call came through. They claimed responsibility for it, saying they would blow up the rest one by one until we listened to them."  
  
Jack shook his head, it was happening again. "Was anyone hurt?"  
  
"No, thankfully, classes were all out near there and the fire was contained pretty quickly. However, half of UCLA is now without power," Adam offered as he flashed a picture of the destruction on the screen opposite Jack.  
  
"Ok, we are treating this as a real threat people. Chloe, I need you to get me a list of every power plant in LA, as well as California. We need to get people over there and find those bombs."  
  
Chloe looked up at Jack, "But Jack, there are 1013 power plants in California, 129 in LA alone, there is no way we can check all of them in time."  
  
"Just do it Chloe."  
  
She got up to leave, "Fine."  
  
"And get me a list of the twenty probable targets here in LA, too."  
  
"Jack, with the current energy crunch in Los Angeles, this could be a disaster. If they blow up any more stations, we could be looking at a blackout like the one a few years back in New York. And we wouldn't be able to get back online as quickly as they did. We would be without power for months." Michelle was not painting a rosy picture.  
  
"I know. Kim, call CTU in DC and alert all other CTU agencies to be on the lookout and to check their power plants."  
  
"Adam, what else do we know about this country?"  
  
"Well, President Burke recently sent in American troops. He received Intel that they were working on a nuclear bomb."  
  
"Ok, we'll have to assume that this is in retaliation. Let's get to work, I'm going to head to the site and help with negotiations." Everyone left the room, but Michelle hung back.  
  
"Michelle?" Jack asked softly.  
  
"I'm ok. I just can't help but think that Tony should be here."  
  
Tony served four years in prison for treason, a short time considering he could have done twenty. Michelle stuck by him and visited him as often as she could. When he was released, he couldn't return to CTU because of the conviction. Tony joined a large PI firm and spent as much time as he could with their three-year-old daughter Alyssa.  
  
Jack nodded and said, "I know, but we'll get through this. I'm going to the plant, call me on my cell with anything new."  
  
Michelle knew that Tony was happy just to be home with her and Alyssa, but she had loved working with him here at CTU. Just having each other there in times of crisis like these made it easier to get through them.  
  
Jack left the conference room and headed back out of CTU. Kim walked him out, "Dad, be careful."  
  
"I will sweetheart. Why don't you have the babysitter take Angela and Christopher over to stay with Kate and Ryan? Then you and Chase don't have to worry about them until tomorrow, I'm sure Kate could use the company."  
  
"Sure Dad, I love you." She leaned in to hug him.  
  
He hugged her back, "I love you too, sweetheart." He couldn't believe his baby was going to be thirty in a couple of years. She was so grown up and had really proved herself at CTU. It made him feel suddenly very old.

* * *

Back at the house, Kate had finished the dishes and sat down on the couch to watch her favorite show. She glanced at her watch and decided to give Ryan another fifteen minutes before she called him in. She noticed her wedding album out of the corner of her eye and went over to pick it up. It was dusty, but she opened it and looked at the pictures.  
  
They looked so young. Jack and Kate married in a small ceremony in their backyard soon after Ryan was born. Because of the disaster that Marie's wedding had become, they both agreed they didn't want a large to-do. Kim was her maid of honor, and Chase stood up for Jack. Only close family and friends were in attendance. It was one of the happiest days of her life next to the day her son was born.  
  
Meanwhile, Ryan was curled up in a little ball, wondering if it was safe to move yet. Then he heard footsteps approaching.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	3. Ryan's Missing!

Chapter 3  
  
Jack was en route to the power plant in Beverly Hills when his cell phone rang.  
  
"Bauer."  
  
"Jack, it's Michelle. They are calling again, demanding to speak to whoever is in charge. I assume that we have jurisdiction."  
  
"Yeah, patch them through to me. Oh, Michelle, did you trace it?"  
  
"It is definitely coming from a land line inside the plant. Ok, Jack, go ahead."  
  
"This is the Director of Los Angeles CTU, Jack Bauer, who am I speaking with?"  
  
A deep voice with a Middle Eastern accent answered, "That's not important right now. Mr. Bauer, how would you feel if your wife and children were being threatened and your current way of life ceased to exist?"  
  
"Don't you dare threaten my family you son of a bitch!" Jack was getting angry, which was getting him nowhere.  
  
The voice said, "Just think about it." The line went dead.  
  
"Damnit!"  
  
Jack quickly dialed the phone. He let it ring five times until the machine picked up, "Hi, this is the Bauer residence. Jack, Kate, and Ryan are out right now. Leave a message." It was Kate's voice. Where was she? Jack was getting worried; he had been through this before and was not eager to repeat it.  
  
Jack left a message, "Kate, it's Jack, call me back as soon as you can. It's important."  
  
Jack dialed again, this time someone answered, "Bauer."  
  
"Kim, it's me. Do you know if the kids made it over to our house yet?"  
  
"I think they should be getting there in the next couple of minutes, why? What's wrong dad?"  
  
Jack sighed, "Probably nothing, but could you send an agent over to the house to check on them?"  
  
"Sure, you don't think the kids are in any danger, do you?" Kim was starting to worry.  
  
"No, I just want to make sure they are safe. Get back to me." Jack hung up and hoped that Kate had just stepped outside to call Ryan in.  
  
Kate walked back into the house from the garden, carrying a basket filled with roses. Kim and Chase's kids would be here any minute and she wanted to refill her vases before chaos ensued. Three kids running around was always trouble, but she loved the house filled with children's laughter. She was thankful for the distraction to keep her mind off of Jack.  
  
She didn't notice the furiously blinking light on the answering machine.  
  
Just then, two kids came bursting through the front door. Nine-year-old Angela was as tall as Ryan, and had long brown hair braided into two pigtails and resembled her father. She was followed by six-year-old Christopher, who was the spitting image of Kim. He and Ryan were often mistaken for brothers, although Ryan was actually Christopher's step-uncle. It was a strange family dynamic, but it worked for them. Ryan loved having relatives his own age to play with.  
  
"Hi Kate!" Technically, Kate was their step-Grandmother, but there was no way she was ready to be called Grandma, her son was only eight. So "Kate" was fine with her. Jack was affectionately known as "Grampa Jack."  
  
Little Christopher asked, "Where's Ryan? I want to show him my new Rescue Hero."  
  
"He's outside riding his bike, he should be back any minute." She glanced at her watch realizing that he had been gone for a while now.  
  
Angela shook her head, "No he's not, his bike is laying in the front yard."  
  
Kate ran to the front door and looked out. Ryan's bike was laying in the front yard near the street. "Oh my god. Angela, you and Christopher go search the house for Ryan."  
  
She ran to the coffee table and grabbed the portable phone. She called Tommy, then Jake's house, but neither had seen Ryan since they left the house earlier. She couldn't think of any more of Ryan's friends to call, when she saw the light blinking on the answering machine.  
  
"Kate, it's Jack, call me back as soon as you can. It's important."  
  
Angela and Christopher returned to the living room shaking their heads.  
  
Starting to panic, she quickly dialed Jack's extension at CTU. His voice mail picked up immediately, "This is Director Jack Bauer, I am currently unavailable. If you need immediate assistance, call Michelle Dessler at extension 342."  
  
She hung up without leaving a message and dialed Kim's extension. "Bauer."  
  
"Oh, thank god! Kim, do you know where Jack is?" Kate sounded hysterical.  
  
"Yeah, he had to go handle something, what's wrong? Are Angela and Christopher there?"  
  
Kate replied frantically, "Yeah, they're fine, I just need to talk to Jack, please! Ryan's missing!"  
  
To Be Continued... 


	4. I'm Going In

Chapter 4  
  
Jack drove up to the perimeter established by the local police and flashed his badge. The officer looked at it and replied, "We've been expecting you Mr. Bauer. If you could park over there." He pointed to a spot near the edge of the perimeter that disappeared into the greenery beyond it. "The plant is surrounded on two sides by grass and trees, we're keeping the front clear for emergency vehicles."  
  
Jack took his badge back and parked the car where instructed. He stepped around to the back and put on his flak jacket and loaded his pockets with extra clips and other gear. He checked both of his side arms and released the safeties. Just in case.  
  
Jack closed the doors and headed to the front of the building lit up with dancing red and blue lights. Once he reached it, he showed his badge again to the closest officer, "Who's in charge right now?"  
  
"Special Agent Goodrich, sir, over there." He pointed to a group of men in SWAT gear huddled together in conference.  
  
Jack reached the group, "Agent Goodrich?"  
  
He looked up and came over to meet Jack, hand out, "Good to see you again, Jack." They shook hands. "We could use your help."  
  
"What's the situation?"  
  
"Well, we have snipers placed on the rooftops of those two buildings," he pointed to their locations. "Then some more in the trees behind the plant. The tree line begins far behind the plant near the water, so they may not be as effective—"  
  
Another officer ran up to them carrying a cell phone, "Sir, they are demanding to speak to Mr. Bauer again."  
  
Jack held his hand out for the phone. "This is Bauer."  
  
"Have you thought about it?" The deep voice said.  
  
Jack didn't want to rise to his bait, so he said calmly, "What do you want?"  
  
"We'll get to that soon enough."  
  
Jack tried to get the man to talk hoping he would accidentally reveal something he could use. "Ok, why LA? Why California?"  
  
This seemed to anger the voice, "You people with your fucking Hollywood, your Beverly Hills, your movies. Your celebrities make more in one week than my people see in one year. One movie budget here could fund our way of life for a year. "  
  
Jack tried to soothe him and keep him talking, "Ok, then tell me what you want."  
  
The voice was still angry, "Not yet! Let's see how your celebrities survive without power, how your city will survive without power. Our oil cannot help you if you have no plants to use it."  
  
The line went dead.  
  
Hassan slammed the phone down. Ariz looked at him nervously, "Why are you taunting them? Just tell them what we want. This is not helping our cause."  
  
"Enough!" He slammed his fist down on the table. "This is my plan and we will do this my way."  
  
Jack hung up the phone when his cell rang. He dug it out of his pocket and answered, "Bauer."  
  
"Dad, it's me." Kim's voice wavered, "I've got Kate on the phone, it's about Ryan."  
  
Jack walked away from the commotion to a quiet spot. "Kate?"  
  
Kate was crying now, "Jack, Ryan's missing. I've called everyone and he's not here and his bike is in the front yard."  
  
Jack's blood turned to ice in his veins and he started shaking. He didn't want to scare Kate anymore, but he was very worried. "Kate, slow down. Did you call Tommy and Jake?"  
  
"Yes, of course! I called everyone."  
  
"Honey, listen to me, we'll find him." Jack couldn't believe what was happening. Again. "Kate, I sent an agent over there earlier, has he arrived yet?"  
  
"Yes, Agent Marks, he's here."  
  
"Let me speak to him."  
  
Kate handed the phone to the agent, "Marks."  
  
Jack was trying to keep calm, "Listen to me very carefully. I think Ryan's disappearance has something to do with the terrorists here at the power plant. Do not let my wife know until I get confirmation. I don't want to scare her. Call in backup and keep her and the kids well guarded."  
  
"Copy that, sir."  
  
"Ok, could you put Kate back on?"  
  
"Jack?" Kate was still crying. "What are we going to do?"  
  
"We'll find him Kate, I promise. Agent Marks is going to stay with you and the kids. I trust him. He is bringing in backup to help look for Ryan and the police should arrive soon. I'll send Amy over to stay with you."  
  
Kate sniffled, "Oh Jack, this is all my fault."  
  
"No, Kate. He's fine, we'll find him. I'll call you as soon as I hear anything. I love you honey."  
  
She whispered, "I love you too. Please find our son." She hung up.  
  
"Kim, are you still there?"  
  
"Yeah, Dad, what do you need me to do?"  
  
Jack put his hands over his eyes, overcome with emotion. "Dispatch the police and FBI to the house to start a search. Also, could you call Amy for me, Kate really needs someone right now."  
  
"Sure Dad, I'll call you with any news." They hung up.  
  
Jack walked back over to Agent Goodrich and his men with anger in his eyes.  
  
Agent Goodrich noticed the change in Jack. "Jack, what is it?"  
  
"I'm going in. Those bastards have my son."  
  
Ryan lifted his head up and looked around. He was alone.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	5. Where is my son?

Chapter 5  
  
Agent Goodrich grabbed Jack's arm, "Jack, you can't go in there by yourself, you'll get yourself as well as your son killed, if he's in there."  
  
"I have to find him."  
  
"We will Jack." The agent continued. "My surveillance team counts ten known armed hostiles, possibly more inside." He handed Jack some binoculars. "The front of the building here is made up of several offices, we think that's where the leader is making the calls. The back houses the generator and plant where it meets the river. As far as we know, there are only four hostages; everyone else had already gone home for the day. No sign of a boy."  
  
"He's in there. The son of a bitch threatened my family." Jack began to check his weapons. "I'm getting a closer look."  
  
Just then, the phone he still held rang, "Bauer."  
  
The voice had calmed down, "Ah, Mr. Bauer, I am ready to give you our demands."  
  
"WHERE IS MY SON?"  
  
A pause. "What?"  
  
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"  
  
The line went dead.  
  
Jack cursed, "Damnit!"  
  
Hassan put down the phone with a blank look on his face. Ariz nervously asked, "What is it? What's wrong?"  
  
"He thinks we have his son."  
  
Ariz was confused, "What? Why? We only have those four hostages in there, none of them could be young enough. You didn't—"  
  
"No!" But then Hassan smiled, "But we could use this to our advantage. Parents will do anything you tell them to get their children back unharmed. This one should be no different. These Americans will not shoot their way in if they think a child is in here."  
  
Ariz wasn't so sure. He was nervous about the whole plan and did not share his leader's confidence. He hesitated, "I..I don't know Hassan."  
  
Ariz was the smaller of the two at five-three, dwarfed by Hassan by over a foot. Hassan's over six-foot frame and muscular build were imposing, and he used that to bully those around him. He was not used to being questioned.  
  
"Do not question me again. Now, go check on the others, make sure everything is secure."  
  
Ariz scurried off, leaving Hassan alone.  
  
A voice came over the radio on Agent Goodrich's shoulder, "Sir, we have some movement inside, north side."  
  
"Copy that, keep me updated." He turned to Jack, "Give me a description of Ryan."  
  
Jack looked down and closed his eyes, "Eight, about four foot eight, blonde hair, last seen wearing..." Jack tried to remember what Ryan had on at home before he left, "Wearing a blue spider man t-shirt and denim shorts, and a black hooded jacket."  
  
Agent Goodrich put his hand on Jack's shoulder and spoke into his radio again. "All teams, be on the lookout for another potential hostage, a boy, eight years old, blonde hair, blue t-shirt, jean shorts, black jacket."  
  
Several responses, "Negative, sir. All four known hostages are in the south most office, no boy."  
  
Jack was frustrated, "That place is too big, there is no way to know where he is being held, I have to go in. Alone."  
  
Ryan got up on the seat and looked out the window. The coast was clear and it was quiet. He opened the door and looked around again. He pulled his hood over his head and moved the blanket that had been covering him.  
  
He climbed out of his father's Expedition and silently shut the door, taking cover by the front wheel. He clasped his hand and pointed them in front of him like he was carrying a gun.  
  
Ryan had stowed away in the back seat of his dad's truck when he heard Jack on the phone. Curiosity got the best of him; he wanted to see CTU for himself. His mom had never allowed him to go there, fearing that he would get ideas in his head. She also thought it was too dangerous.  
  
He hid under a blanket and waited as Jack went in the building. He waited for a while and had been ready to start exploring when his dad suddenly came back to the car and drove to the site.  
  
Ryan looked around at the swirling police lights and the SWAT teams in the distance and thought, this is so much cooler than a boring CTU building. He whispered to himself, "Special Agent Ryan Bauer has been called to the scene."  
  
He scurried along the empty cars to the adjacent line of shrubs, hiding in the shadows. "Agent Bauer has been training his whole life for situations like this. He will make the bad guys pay."  
  
Ryan slowly made his way around to the back of the building, taking note of the sentries posted inside the entrances. He wanted a closer look.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
Note: So, who thought Ryan was really Kimnapped? Tricked ya! I bet you were thinking, oh no, not another of Jack's kids getting kidnapped, it's been done so many times already. Little Ryan is more mischievous than Kim could ever be. 


	6. Agent Ryan Bauer

Chapter 6  
  
Amy drove up to the house and tried to find a spot not taken by police cruisers and FBI government sedans. She finally parked on the next street over and grabbed her bag out of the back. She cut between two houses and approached the house through the back yard.  
  
An agent with a buzz cut and an attitude came up to her, "This is a crime scene, what do you think you're doing?"  
  
Amy was in no mood to deal with some low level agent assigned to back yard duty. "I'm walking."  
  
The agent stepped in front of her, "Not anymore. Who are you?"  
  
This guy was really getting on her nerves, so she shot back, "Who are you?"  
  
Agent Buzz Cut dug in his jacket and whipped out his ID badge, "Agent Foote, Harrison Foote." He was smiling.  
  
Amy rolled her eyes, rookies. She quipped, "Harry Foote? Were your parents brother and sister?" She kept walking.  
  
He ran after her, "Ma'am, you cannot be here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."  
  
She stopped and faced him, "Listen Harry, my sister-in-law is in there in tears and I'm here to help her. If you don't let me by, my brother will hold you personally responsible for her pain. You've heard of Jack Bauer, right?" She turned and went in the back door of the house.  
  
Agent Harrison Foote just watched her go; he was stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
Kate turned and ran to her, "Amy, thanks for coming." They hugged tightly.  
  
"How are you Kate?"  
  
Kate wiped her eyes with her sleeve, "I just don't know what to do.... if something happens to Ryan, I—"  
  
"Kate, he's going to be fine. Jack will find him." Amy tried to reassure Kate, "Ryan's a tough kid, and he's Jack's son—Jack is the strongest man I know. Believe me, I grew up with him bullying me around."  
  
"Let's make some coffee, "Amy wanted to keep Kate busy. They went into the kitchen and Kate sat down on a barstool while Amy made the coffee. "So, what happened?"  
  
"I don't know, he was here eating dinner with us. Jack got a call to come into the office and Ryan went to go ride his bike. The next thing I know, Angela finds his bike in the front yard and Ryan is gone."  
  
Amy asked quietly, "Is there any reason for Ryan to run away?"  
  
Kate shook her head, "No way, he's a good kid and gets into trouble sometimes, but Jack and I have always been fair with him and he accepts that. He is sometimes too curious for his own good, but he wasn't mad at either me or Jack tonight."  
  
Amy nodded, "You know Jack ran away once? My mom told me, it was before I was born, after his dad died."  
  
"Really, he never told me that. What happened?"  
  
"He was about ten or eleven, got in a fight with mom. She was a mess after his dad died, didn't spend much time with him. Anyway, he made up his mind he could take care of himself, didn't want to burden mom anymore. Left her a note and took off. He made it all the way to the train station by himself, had been in a few fistfights and everything when mom finally found him."  
  
Kate laughed, "Sounds like Jack." Amy sat a coffee mug in front of Kate.  
  
"Yeah, I've got plenty more stories if you're interested." Kate just stared down at her coffee. "Kate, they're going to find him."  
  
Ryan scurried from bush to bush, getting closer to the door every minute. It was a roll-up garage door style, pushed up about a third. The guard's shoes were visible underneath. Ryan was about ten feet from the entrance when another set of shoes appeared.  
  
Ariz walked up to the guard, "Come with me for a moment."  
  
He protested, "But I cannot leave my post, Hassan ordered me to stay here."  
  
"It will be fine for a moment. It's not going anywhere. We can't talk here, the noise from the generator is too loud."  
  
The guard's shoes disappeared from the doorway.  
  
Agent Goodrich shook his head, "Jack, let us come up with a plan first. Think about it."  
  
Jack's training and intuition were telling him that the agent was right, but his heart wanted to run in there and save Ryan, no matter the cost. He couldn't live with himself if something happened to his son. Not after all he had been through with Teri and Kim and even Kate. He had fought through so much to get to this point in his life and it was being torn down in front of him.  
  
Jack nodded his agreement. "Ok, what do we know?"  
  
"Well, from what my snipers can see, they don't seem to be professionals. All of the guards stationed by the doors are standing in plain sight and some of them aren't even carrying their weapons correctly. We could take them all out right now if we wanted to."  
  
Jack shook his head, "No. We still have too many unknowns. We don't know how many hostiles are still inside. They could trigger the bombs to the rest of the plants the second we take out the guards. It's too risky. And with Ryan in there..."  
  
Agent Goodrich noticed a look in Jack's eye, "What are you thinking, Jack?"  
  
"I'll go in. Trade myself for Ryan. You can wire me, I'll get the intel, secure the hostages, then you come in hot."  
  
"Jack, you're not as young as you used to be. Are you sure about this?"  
  
Jack looked the agent square in the eyes and said, "Trust me."  
  
Ryan leaned with his back against the wall next to the door behind a low shrub. His arms were bent in front of him; hands still clasped holding his pretend gun. "Special Agent Bauer is going in."  
  
Ryan peeked under the door again to make sure it was clear and scooted underneath the door. It opened into a large cavernous room with a loud generator occupying most of the floor space at the far end. Ryan ducked under a nearby desk to look around. He thought he heard voices and crawled closer to hear. "Agent Bauer has infiltrated the enemy's camp and is gathering information."  
  
The radio squawked next to Agent Goodrich's shoulder, "Sir, we have movement at one of the rear doors."  
  
He grabbed the radio and pushed the button, "Go ahead."  
  
"The guard's shoes are not visible, but I thought I saw a shadow moving outside the door."  
  
"Copy that, look into it and keep me posted."  
  
He looked at Jack, "Something's going on in there."  
  
Jack's cell phone chirped in his pocket. He quickly grabbed it hoping for news of Ryan, "Kate?"  
  
"No, Jack, it's Michelle." His heart sank.  
  
"Ok, what have you got for me?"  
  
Michelle sighed, "That's just it. We couldn't find anything. This group is not being funded by any known sources. They have no ties to any cells that we know of. No one has even heard of them. Their country is very poor, so whoever funded them is keeping a low profile. We pushed our sources pretty hard and came up with nothing."  
  
Jack responded, "That makes sense, these guys seem like amateurs. They are making too many mistakes. "  
  
Michelle questioned, "But if they have plants wired across the country, they would need a very large unit. We should have heard of them. It doesn't add up."  
  
Jack thought for a minute, "No, it doesn't. Find out what you can about the troops that were sent over there, if any women and children have been harmed."  
  
"Ok, Chloe worked up a list of the most probable targets, we have teams en route now, as well as bomb squads across the country searching the largest plants. So far nothing."  
  
"Thanks, I'll get back to you."  
  
"Jack? I'm sorry about Ryan, I'm sure he's ok."  
  
"Thanks Michelle." He hung up.  
  
Jack walked over to one of the CTU vans to get wired and equipped when the terrorist's phone line rang in his hand.  
  
"Bauer."  
  
"Mr. Bauer, are you ready to talk?" The voiced asked.  
  
Jack replied through clenched teeth, "Listen to me, if you harm one hair on my son's head, you will regret it."  
  
Ariz pulled the guard over, "They have accused Hassan of kidnapping the son of one of their agents."  
  
The guard looked alarmed, "That was not part of the plan. Hassan is getting dangerous."  
  
Ariz shook his head, "He says he didn't take the boy. But he is going to let them think we have him as leverage."  
  
"I assure you Mr. Bauer, your son is fine. He will not be harmed unless you do as I ask." Hassan had decided to play the bluff.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Good. Now we are cooperating. First, we want all American soldiers removed from our borders. Our women and children are not safe, they are being harassed and threatened by your so-called heroes. It is worse than a dictatorship."  
  
Jack doubted the validity of his claims, but agreed, "Ok, we'll see what we can do."  
  
"No! You will do it or this country will be see how it feels to live back in the stone ages with no electricity. I assume you saw the sub-station at UCLA. That was just a small message. Next time, it will be larger, I assure you."  
  
"What else?"  
  
"We want a large helicopter delivered to the roof over the generator in one hour. The pilot will be unarmed or he dies. We will leave him on the roof with the rest of the hostages; you can pick them up when we leave. Do you understand?"  
  
This guy had balls, Jack would give him that. But if he had done his research, he would know that he is never going to make it to that chopper. "Done. But you will have to do something for me first."  
  
"What?"  
  
"A trade. Me for my son. That's the deal, and it's nonnegotiable. Otherwise, the deal is off." Jack was playing hardball and he prayed it wouldn't get his son killed.  
  
"Deal."  
  
Ryan sneaked closer to the talking men, hiding behind equipment and under tables. He glanced around and noticed several other guards carrying large guns over their shoulders at the far end of the plant. He started to get a little scared, suddenly realizing what he was doing. He stopped under a table nearest the men and hugged his knees to his chest.  
  
Up until now, he had no concept of the danger he was in. Despite the fact that the guns were like those in the video games he spent hours playing at his friend Jake's house, he knew they were real. His curiosity had gotten the better of him and he had thought of this as a game, but now he was afraid. "Special Agent Bauer wants to go home."  
  
To Be Continued: 


	7. That's Jack Bauer?

Chapter 7  
  
Ryan was still huddled under the table, when he heard footsteps. He scrunched himself in the corner and tried to listen, but the noise from the generator was drowning them out. ------  
  
"What is going on here?" It was Hassan, the leader.  
  
Ariz was visibly scared, "Nothing Hassan, we were just getting a cup of coffee."  
  
Hassan eyed them suspiciously, and then said to the guard, "Get back to your post." The guard gave him a long look, then quickly returned to the door.  
  
"Ariz, I need you to get to the South door. Mr. Bauer is going to pay us a visit. He is trading himself for his son."  
  
Ariz looked confused, "But how are you going to pull that one off? What happens when he finds out we don't have his son?"  
  
"Doesn't matter. Once he comes in, then we have a Federal Agent as a hostage. They will not compromise the life of one of their own. We're home free." Hassan was confident in his supreme intellect and cunning. He had outsmarted the dumb Americans once again. --------  
  
Ryan wished he could hear what they were saying. "Special Agent Ryan Bauer should never be scared. He will accomplish his mission." His dad was never scared. He scooted between a table and chair to the other side of some plant equipment. He looked out. Both men had their backs turned. He quickly ran across the room and darted under a table adjacent to the men. He could hear them clearly now.  
  
Hassan looked around, "Did you hear something?"  
  
Ariz shook his head, "No, just the generators." He looked up at Hassan, "What if they find out we don't really have any other bombs? We spent all the money we had on the bomb at UCLA and these guns."  
  
"Don't worry, they won't. There is no way they can check that many power plants. Why do you think I chose California? Once they figure it out, we will be long gone." Hassan patted the smaller man on the back. "The plan is working."  
  
"When are you going to tell them what you really want?" Ariz was still worried.  
  
"After we welcome our new guest. Now, go grab two men and get set for his arrival. I am going to call him now to do the trade."  
  
Ryan watched the two men walk away. He wasn't sure what he had just heard meant, but he felt he should tell someone right away. He knew that's what his father would tell him to do. He looked around. The guard at the door blocked his only escape route. He whispered to himself, "It's all up to Special Agent Ryan Bauer. The team is counting on him. He must escape."  
  
"So Jack pulled him out of the car and threatened him for even trying to touch me, and that was the end of that date. And the poor guy was only trying to kiss me." Amy was relaying the end of another Jack story.  
  
Kate looked at her and put her hand over Amy's, "Thanks for being here. I don't know what I would be doing without you." The tears were falling again.  
  
"You know I will always be here for you guys. And everything will work out." Amy was trying to stay optimistic for Kate's sake, but she knew that every hour that ticked away lessened the chance of Ryan's survival.  
  
Kate felt the need to explain, "We did everything we could to ensure Ryan's safety. He's enrolled in school as Ryan Weston under a false address. Even his friends don't know his real name. We have an unlisted phone and address. We have taken every precaution without putting him under surveillance, although Jack thought about it. We thought he would be safe. After what happened to Kim, he wanted to make sure nothing like that would happen again."  
  
Amy went around the counter and hugged her, "Kate, this isn't your fault. Jack will find him."  
  
"Then why hasn't he called?"  
  
Jack was suited up and waiting for the call. He had a tiny earpiece buried in his left ear and a transmitter hidden under his shirt. Scanners would not catch either. He was also wearing a wireless camera on his belt buckle. Unless they knew exactly where to look, it would also go undetected. He had a small gun hidden under his flak jacket and one in each boot. If they searched him thoroughly, they would find them, but he doubted they would check his boots. He put a knife in his pocket to give them something to find.  
  
Agent Goodrich came over to Jack, "Are you ready?" Jack only nodded.  
  
The agent spoke into his mike, "Testing, testing. Can you hear me?"  
  
Jack replied, "Copy."  
  
"Great, you're coming through loud and clear. Here's what we will be seeing." He grabbed a small hand held screen and showed Jack the image coming from his belt-buckle. "Try to get us a picture of the layout, the hostages, and any hostiles you can see. If you get into trouble or are ready and want us to move in, your codeword is 'weather'. Say the word and we are there in thirty seconds."  
  
Jack looked him in the eye and put his hand on the agent's shoulder, "Thanks, Brett."  
  
The terrorist hot line rang in Jack's hand, "Bauer."  
  
"Ok, this is how it's going to work," said the voice. "You will be unarmed. Come to the south door, we will disarm the explosive device. You will enter the building and my men will search you. Do you understand?"  
  
"What about my son?" Jack said through clenched teeth.  
  
"Oh yes, your son. Once you are inside, we will bring him to you to let you know he's safe, then escort him out. If you cooperate, he will not be harmed."  
  
"No, bring him out first!" Jack wanted to make sure Ryan was safe before he went in.  
  
"My terms are non-negotiable Mr. Bauer. You don't see your son until you are in the building."  
  
Jack immediately sensed something was wrong, but had no other choice.  
  
"Ok, I'm coming in." Jack hung up the phone and handed it to a nearby agent. He nodded to Agent Goodrich then put his hands up and headed toward the south entrance.  
  
Agent Jon Joiner, a rookie, watched him go. He leaned in to the agent next to him and whispered, "He's going to get himself killed. Do you think he knows what he's doing?"  
  
The agent whispered back, "Are you kidding me? That's Jack Bauer."  
  
"That's Jack Bauer?"  
  
To Be Continued.... 


	8. Escape

Chapter 8  
  
Jack approached the door, and mumbled into the mike, "Ok, I'm about twenty feet from the door, going in."  
  
"Copy that Jack, we got you. Be careful."  
  
Four Middle Eastern looking men opened the door and aimed their automatic weapons at his head, motioning him inside. One of them pointed at Jack and said, "Put your hands on your head, walk slowly through the door, and stand facing the wall over there." Jack recognized the voice from their recent conversations. It was the leader.  
  
He did as he was told and watched as they ran a scanner over his body, searching for bugs and transmitters. Jack nearly grinned when he noticed what model scanner they were using; it was about three years out-of-date. There was no way these amateurs would find his camera or the transmitter.  
  
They began to frisk him when one of the underlings laughed as he found the knife Jack had planted, "Look what I found, he's got a knife." The man opened it, revealing the blade and put the blade up to Jack's neck, "We said no weapons."  
  
The leader took the knife from him and turned Jack around, "Enough! Finish frisking him and bind his hands." He placed the knife in his pocket.  
  
He looked at Jack and said, "Welcome, we meet face to face at last, Mr. Bauer. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Hassan." Jack looked the man up and down, having expected someone much smaller. He was larger than Jack by a half a foot and probably outweighed him by almost 100 pounds.  
  
He heard Agent Goodrich's voice in his ear, "Jack, we are forwarding the name to CTU now for analysis, we'll get back to you."  
  
"Ok," he said for the agent's benefit. "Hassan, where is my son?" Ryan was his first priority and his safety was more important than his own.  
  
The men roughly grabbed his hands from his head and put them out in front of Jack. They took out a roll of thick rope and began to wrap it around his wrists. Jack flexed his wrists and pushed them as far apart as possible without attracting attention. When they finished, the ropes had some slack in them, not much, but enough to work with. They had forgotten to search the rest of his body. Jack was relieved that none of his guns had been found and was further convinced that these men were not professional terrorists.  
  
Hassan looked at Jack, and pulled him away from the door, "Soon."  
  
Ryan sat with his knees to his chest and his head down on them, thinking. He knew he needed to get out of there and warn the officers outside, but he was scared. If the guard saw him, he would be caught, and he then he would really be in trouble. He never really meant to get into trouble; he only wanted his dad to be proud of him.  
  
Ryan put his hands in his pocket and put his hand around a small hard object. He took it out and looked at the medium-sized Spiderman figure. Ryan suddenly got an idea. He peeked his head out to check the guard at the door, who was facing the opposite direction fiddling with his gun, clearly bored with his assignment.  
  
Ryan crawled out of his hiding place and hurled the small figurine past the guard. It crashed into a large metal trashcan, attracting his attention over the noise of the generator. Ryan took a chance and ran full speed as the guard went to investigate. He ducked and slid under the door and quickly hugged the wall on the outside as his heart beat wildly in his chest.  
  
"Special Agent Bauer has escaped. He will make his way back to CTU headquarters to debrief." He didn't know exactly what that meant, but had heard his dad say it many times before. He glanced over at the door, the boots appeared under it once again.  
  
"Sir, I have movement again outside the rear door. I will need to move closer to get a better look."  
  
Special Agent in Charge Brett Goodrich responded, "Copy, let me know what you find. Use extreme caution."  
  
The sniper lowered himself from the tree, keeping his eye on the shadow immediately to the left of the rear roll-up door. The shadow was still for the moment. Something about that shadow nagged at the corner of Special Agent Sniper Division Kevin Simon's mind, but he had yet to place it. As Simon edged forward, the shadow crawled along the shrub line, heading right towards him. He froze as a twig broke under his combat boot.  
  
The shadow got up to run, Special Agent Simon's instincts reacted and he yelled, "Freeze or I will fire!" Thankfully, they were far enough away from the plant now not to attract the terrorists' interest.  
  
As Jack was being led away, he glanced back at the door. The "bomb" on the door was simply a black plastic case surrounded by some wires, even he could tell it was a fake with his limited knowledge on the subject. Who were these guys?  
  
They moved down the hall toward the offices at the front of the building, and Jack was growing impatient, "I have complied with all of your demands. I want to see my son, now!"  
  
Hassan merely shook his head, "Your son is safe Jack."  
  
"WHERE IS MY SON?" Jack fought against the restraints and the guards holding his arms.  
  
The voice in his ear said, "Jack, don't antagonize him, try to calm down."  
  
Ryan froze with fear, his hands up in the air, "Don't shoot, I'm just a kid, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I just wanted to see."  
  
"A kid?" This is what had been nagging at him, the small size of the shadow. Agent Simon instantly recalled the order to be on the look out for Jack Bauer's eight-year-old son. The agent dashed over to the boy and told him to turn around. Definitely a Spiderman t-shirt, jean shorts, and black jacket.  
  
"What's your name son?" He lowered his gun so as not to scare the poor kid anymore.  
  
"Uh, Ryan Bauer, please don't hurt me. My dad is—"  
  
The agent smiled, "I know who your dad is, you can lower your hands. We've all been looking for you, but you're safe now. Are you hurt in any way?"  
  
Ryan shook his head and put his hands down. He knew he was in trouble if they were all looking for him.  
  
"Ok, come with me." He put his hand on Ryan's back and led him toward the command post.  
  
"Sir, this is Agent Simon. You're not going to believe what I found. I have a positive ID on Ryan Bauer."  
  
Agent Simon hurried over to the command post leading Ryan, who was looking around in wonder, "There are some people who will want to talk to you, are you alright to talk?"  
  
Ryan just nodded his head. If they were looking for him, that meant that his parents knew he was gone, which would mean they were probably worried. He hadn't meant to cause this much trouble; he only wanted to see CTU.  
  
Agent Simon touched Agent Goodrich on the shoulder, "Sir?" Brett Goodrich spun around and looked down at Ryan. The boy looked terrified, which was understandable considering he had been kidnapped and then escaped. Goodrich wanted to make sure it was really Ryan before he told Jack.  
  
"Ryan Bauer?"  
  
Ryan just nodded his head again, as words seemed to escape him at the moment. "You're ok now son, we won't let anyone harm you again." He thanked Agent Simon then turned to his Lieutenant, "Get the medics over here to check him out and get him a blanket."  
  
He crouched down next to Ryan and said, "Agent Bowman is going to take care of you while I talk to your dad." He put his hand on Ryan's shoulder, "You're very brave, Ryan." He walked away to give the news to Jack.  
  
Agent Goodrich spoke into his radio, "Jack, can you hear me? Cough if you copy."  
  
A small cough came through the speaker.  
  
"We found Ryan. He's safe and unharmed. He must have escaped. Do you copy?"  
  
Another cough.  
  
To Be Continued.... 


	9. Demands

**Chapter 9  
**  
Amy called Kim's extension at CTU, "Kim, it's Amy."  
  
"Hey, how's Kate?"  
  
"She's holding up, but listen, we've tried Jack's office and cell phone and there's no answer. Kate really needs reassurances from him; he should be here with her. Can you connect me?"  
  
Kim paused, wondering how much to tell her, "Um, dad's unreachable, he's in the field at the power plant."  
  
"Well, then transfer me over there, we won't take too long."  
  
"I can't Amy." Kim sounded scared.  
  
"Why not? What's wrong?" Amy wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.  
  
Kim realized Amy wouldn't let up, so she had to tell her the truth, "He traded himself for Ryan. He's inside the power plant."  
  
"WHAT?" Amy yelled into the phone, turning heads throughout the room. Then she lowered her voice, "What are you talking about? So Ryan's safe?"  
  
"I'm sorry Amy, that's all I know. I'll call you back when I know more. I'm as worried about them as you are, but you know Dad. I have to think he'll be ok or I won't get through this."  
  
"Ok, bye."  
  
She put the phone down as Kate rushed up to her, "Did you get a hold of Jack?"  
  
Amy shook her head. She didn't want to tell Kate the truth, but she also didn't want her to hear about it from anyone else. She had a right to know. "Kate, sit down." She led her to the couch.  
  
Kate was getting very worried. People only asked you to sit down when they were giving you bad news. "Is it Ryan? Something's happened hasn't it?" She put her hand to her mouth as tears rolled down her cheeks.  
  
Amy shook her head again, "No, it's Jack. He traded himself for Ryan. He's inside the power plant that was taken over by terrorists."  
  
"Oh, my god! No!" Too many questions flooded her mind at once and rushed to get them out, "Is Ryan safe? Why did Jack go back into the field? Why haven't we heard anything yet? Why didn't he call?"  
  
Amy tried to comfort her, "I don't know anything else, but Kim promised to call with more information." She hugged Kate, "Jack can take care of himself, he's been in worse situations than this, I know he'll be fine. And so will Ryan."  
  
Kate closed her eyes, letting the tears fall, "This is my worst fear come true."

* * *

"Ryan, I'd like to ask you a couple questions about your abductors," Agent Goodrich asked.  
  
"My what?"  
  
"The people who kidnapped you, can you describe them?" He had forgotten he was talking to an eight year old.  
  
Ryan was confused, "But no one kidnapped me."  
  
Now Goodrich was confused, "What do you mean?"  
  
Agent Bowman interrupted, "Sir, they're on the phone again, they want to speak to whoever is in charge now that they have custody of Agent Bauer."  
  
He put out his hand, "I guess that would be me."  
  
"This is Special Agent Brett Goodrich."  
  
"I assume that you want Mr. Bauer to come out of here alive."  
  
"Of course."  
  
Hassan smiled, "Good. Then this is what you need to do. Deposit ten million dollars into an account we have set up in the Caymans. I will call you back to give you the account number to give you time to collect the funds."  
  
"That's a lot of money, it is going to take some time."  
  
"Not compared to one of your movie budgets. Now, where is my helicopter?"  
  
"En route." Agent Goodrich debated on telling him that they had Ryan back. He wasn't sure if that would make it worse or better. They probably didn't even know he was missing yet.  
  
"Goodbye Mr. Goodrich, I will call soon. You better get that money or Mr. Bauer will not make it." The line went dead.  
  
Money, that's what they all wanted. Agent Goodrich went back over to Ryan, who was sitting on the back of an ambulance covered in a blanket. "Ryan, what do you mean when you said no one kidnapped you?"  
  
Ryan glanced at the gun that hung from the agent's belt and figured he should tell the truth, "I only wanted to see CTU and then I went inside and I heard them talking and they don't have any bombs and I'm sorry, I'll never do it again, I promise."  
  
"Whoa, whoa, slow down. How did you get here?"  
  
Ryan put his head down, "I hid in the back of my dad's truck. I was going to look around CTU, but then he came here."  
  
Agent Goodrich smiled, "So you weren't kidnapped?"  
  
Ryan shook his head, "No."  
  
"So you stowed away in Jack's truck and then what?" Agent Goodrich couldn't understand why Ryan was in the building.  
  
"I was waiting in the car and I was about to get out and look around CTU, then he came back and drove here. I got out and wanted to get a closer look at what was going on, there were so many police cars and stuff around so I snuck around back."  
  
The agent nodded, "Go on."  
  
"So I hid behind bushes all the way up to the door. I thought it would be cool to sneak in like they do in the movies, so I waited till the guard moved, and I went in. Did you know those guys inside have really big guns?"  
  
He was really starting to like this kid, "Yes, we know, keep going."  
  
"So I kept under tables and stuff, trying to hear what they had to say."  
  
"And did you hear anything."  
  
Ryan nodded, "Yeah, there were two guys talking, a really big one and a smaller one. The smaller one asked if he thought they were going to find out there weren't any other bombs planted and that they had used all the money they had on the bomb at ULCA. And the other got mad and said they would be gone before they found out."  
  
"Do you remember anything else? How many men did you see?"  
  
"They also said they were welcoming a guest. That's it. I only saw three guards at the doors and then the other two men."  
  
"Thanks Ryan, you were very brave. I have to go now, but Agent Bowman will stay with you."  
  
Ryan grabbed his arm as the agent turned away, "Am I in trouble?"  
  
"Well, Ryan, I'm sure that your dad is going to be little upset with you, but I think they will be more relieved that you are ok."  
  
"Can I see him?" He was scared about what Jack would say, but now he just wanted to go home.  
  
"Soon, he's busy right now. Just sit tight." The agent left.

* * *

Jack had been led into an office with Hassan and listened while he relayed his newest demand to Agent Goodrich. So this is what this was about. Money. That's what it usually boiled down to. This man didn't care about troops in his country or women and children; it was just to throw them off.  
  
"Jack?" The voice in his ear was back.  
  
He lightly coughed.  
  
"You are not going to believe this." He paused, and then continued, "Ryan was never kidnapped, he was hiding in your backseat and then got out when you came here. He snuck into the building on his own."  
  
Jack yelled out, "What?"  
  
Hassan turned to look at him, wondering whom he was talking to, "Mr. Bauer, do you have something to say?"  
  
Jack thought quickly, "What are you going to do with me?"  
  
"If your friends cooperate, you will be fine."  
  
Jack continued, trying to get the message to Agent Goodrich, "How are you going to pull this off with only fifteen people?"  
  
"Copy that Jack," Agent Goodrich said in his ear, "Can you see anything else?"  
  
"The bomb on the door wasn't even real, they are going to figure it out soon."  
  
Hassan was getting angry, "Enough, all is going according to plan. Now shut up, I've heard enough from you."  
  
Agent Goodrich spoke up, "Jack, Ryan overheard two men saying there really aren't any more bombs at any other power plants, it was a ploy to keep us busy and give them time to get out. We feel it is time to end this. Are you ready?"  
  
Jack coughed again, then spoke one more time to Hassan, "Hey Hassan, how's the weather?"  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
Is anyone reading this??? If so, do you like it? Two chapters left 


	10. Action Jack

**Chapter 10  
**  
The phone rang out in the quiet house, startling everyone. Kate made a dash for it and quickly answered, hints of panic in her voice, "Jack?"  
  
"Uh, no. Mrs. Bauer?"  
  
"Yes, what is it?" She slowly sat down on the couch; convinced she was about to receive bad news. Amy came over and sat next to her, grabbing her hand and squeezing it for support.  
  
"This is Agent Bowman. Agent Goodrich wanted me to call and let you know that we have found Ryan, and he is safe."  
  
Waves of relief crashed over her, "Thank god, where is he, where's my baby?"  
  
"He's right here at the site. The paramedics have checked him over and he doesn't have a scratch on him."  
  
"What about Jack?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't have any further information on him. I'm sure he'll call as soon as he can." The agent wished he could tell her more, but he had his orders.  
  
Kate needed more answers, "Wait! At least tell me what happened to Ryan."  
  
Agent Bowman definitely didn't want to be the unlucky one to tell her about Ryan's little adventure, so he said, "I'll let Agent Bauer fill you in later. This should all be over soon." He wanted to reassure her, "Don't worry, Mrs. Bauer, everything is going to be fine."  
  
"Thank you." She hung up and looked at Amy, tears of relief glistened in her eyes.  
  
Amy stood up and put out her hand to help Kate up, "Come on, grab your coat, we're going over there."

* * *

Agent Goodrich spoke into his radio, "All teams, we are a go. Agent Bauer gave the codeword, repeat, we are a go!"  
  
All snipers carefully eyed their targets. The Sniper Division team leader spoke into his radio, "Ready, on my mark, bring them down. Three, two, one, now!"  
  
Ten guards fell to the ground, wounded or dead. The ground assault SWAT unit split up into teams of four and made it's way to each door. They barged through the doors with body shields and full Kevlar armor, expecting return fire. There wasn't any.  
  
"Sir, this is team A. All clear." "Team B, all clear." Every team repeated the same refrain.  
  
"Copy, Jack is still in there somewhere, as well as at least five hostiles. Find them."  
  
Agent Goodrich couldn't believe how easy their entry had been. He just hoped nothing would go wrong now. He knew Jack could take of himself, but now it seemed that it was Jack alone against five hostiles. The odds seemed about even.  
  
Hassan yelled at Jack, "I said shut up!" He went over to Jack and grabbed him.  
  
Jack was violently thrown down into the corner of the office on the floor. Hassan and three of his associates then held a quiet conference around the large desk. Jack strained to hear what they were discussing, but gave up when he realized that they were not using English. He whispered to the mike as he worked to loosen the ropes binding his wrists, "What's going on?"  
  
Agent Goodrich responded in his ear, "Sit tight Jack, all teams have entered the building and are making their way to your position." In Jack's position sitting on the floor, he was able to slowly access the small guns hidden in his boots, taking one in each palm.  
  
Just then, Ariz burst through the door with a look of sheer terror on his face, "All the guards are down! There are SWAT teams swarming this place, we have to leave. Now!"  
  
Hassan took a handgun out of his pocket and aimed it squarely at Jack's head. "You're coming with me." It wasn't a question.  
  
He pointed at one of his men, "You, call the helicopter to pick us up on the roof now." When Hassan noticed Jack's look of surprise, he said with a sly smile, "Ah, you didn't think I would leave my escape up to you, did you Mr. Bauer? I knew I would never get that helicopter I asked for."  
  
He ordered, "Ariz, set the traps behind us, let's get up to the roof. Leave the other hostages, they are of no use to us, we have Mr. Bauer." Hassan moved behind Jack and lifted him up, the gun pressed into his temple with steady pressure.  
  
The voice in Jack's ear spoke up, "We got it Jack, we'll cut off the chopper, and I will warn the men about the traps. The snipers are ready if you make it to the roof. We're trying to get a twenty on your position." Jack coughed loudly to be heard over their movement.  
  
Though his wrists were still tied, he had loosened the binds enough to allow limited movement. He slowly aimed each gun at the heads of the other two terrorists coming towards him as Hassan pulled him backwards. He knew this was it. He couldn't miss because he probably would not get any more shots off and he was playing a hunch that Hassan would not shoot him immediately; he still needed Jack as a hostage to get to the roof.  
  
Jack felt he was running out of time, so he took a deep breath and threw his head back and up, powerfully connecting with Hassan's nose, causing an audible crack. Jack hastily ducked down as Hassan grabbed his nose in pain and pulled both triggers. The guns were pointed across each other because of the awkward position of his hands, but managed to find their targets.  
  
They both instantly fell to the ground. One fell back dead with a shot to the head, blood dripping down his face. The other was groaning on the floor with a hole in his right thigh. Blood was pouring out of it and pooling on the floor, he must have hit an artery. They were no longer any concern to Jack.  
  
The man who was calling the chopper threw down the phone and turned towards Jack when he heard the commotion. Jack pointed both guns at him and fired simultaneously. He went down hard too, bleeding from the abdomen in two places.  
  
He glanced quickly at Ariz, who was frozen in position, transfixed by the sight of his comrades' blood painting the floor red. He was also not much concern to Jack. Hassan remained his only obstacle.  
  
Hassan regained his composure and brought the butt of his pistol down on the back of Jack's head, causing him to lose his grip on the guns. Jack's vision went black for a moment as he fought unconsciousness and gravity. He blinked his eyes several times to clear his blurry vision and stay upright. His head was throbbing and he was still seeing stars, but he brought his elbow back in an effort to punch the nose again. Hassan anticipated the move and leaned right. Jacks elbow swept the air as Hassan landed a hard punch to Jack's stomach.  
  
He leaned over in agony, breath knocked from his lungs. Hassan took advantage of Jack's prone position and kicked his leg. He was taunting Jack, "You bastard, you are no match for me Agent Bauer, you Americans think you are so tough."  
  
Jack fell painfully on the ground, still hugging his stomach. He gradually slipped his hand under his Kevlar flak jacket and wrapped his hand around his remaining gun. He began to softly laugh through his pain. Hassan aimed the gun at Jack's head again and demanded, "What's so funny?"  
  
Jack alternately chuckled and winced in pain, "I know something you don't." He slowly cocked his hidden gun.  
  
Hassan was angered by Jack's insolence and interference. He rushed over to him and roughly positioned the gun against his temple.  
  
"What do you think you know?" he sneered.  
  
In one fluid motion, Jack flung his hand out of his jacket, aimed at Hassan's heart and pulled the trigger. He grimaced with new pain the sudden movements caused, "You're not so tough either."  
  
Hassan fell back and clutched his chest with a look of surprise on his face. Blood dripped out of his mouth as he gasped for air. Jack painfully recovered to his feet and stood up over Hassan's almost lifeless body. He pulled the trigger again, putting an end to Hassan's life. He felt no remorse.  
  
Jack saw movement out of the corner of his eye and suddenly remembered Ariz. He swung his arm around and pointed the gun at him. "Don't move!"  
  
"Don't shoot me," he begged. "I give up, please!" His hands were raised above his head in the universal symbol of surrender.  
  
"Jack, it's over, don't do it, he gave himself up," Agent Baker was standing in the doorway surrounded by SWAT personnel. Jack looked at the cavalry, lowered the gun and sat down on a nearby chair in pain.  
  
Agent Baker smiled and spoke into his radio, "Sir, Jack didn't leave any for us, it's over. Got four down in here, one prisoner. Need medical assistance ASAP."  
  
"Copy that." 

To Be Concluded...


	11. I Need a Vacation

**Chapter 11**  
  
Amy and Kate approached the scene on foot. They had to park a block away due to the sheer number of police and federal cars, ambulances, and television news vans surrounding the site. They heard talk of gunfire as they passed and then saw several bodies being taken out of the plant as they moved closer.  
  
Kate squeezed Amy's hand, "What am I going to do if something happened to Jack?"  
  
"Don't worry," she answered, "We both know Jack has been through worse and come out ok." Amy silently prayed that her thickheaded brother hadn't done something stupid like get himself shot. Again.  
  
They reached the perimeter of the scene cordoned off with police tape. As they ducked to go under it, a young agent walked up to them, "I'm sorry, you're going to have to wait behind there."  
  
Amy groaned, "What is it with you rookies today?"  
  
The agent shot back, "Excuse me, ma'am, but you aren't authorized to come in here."  
  
Amy wanted to punch him, but she lowered her fist and held herself back. Instead she said, "Look, this is Jack Bauer's wife. If you don't let us in, you are going to have two very distraught and emotional women on your hands."  
  
"Did you say Jack Bauer?" the agent questioned.  
  
"Yes, this is his wife and I'm his sister," Amy responded.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't know, come on through. Agent Goodrich thought you might show up here." He led them to the command post and introduced them to SAIC Goodrich.  
  
He shook both of their hands and explained, "Ryan is right over there, Agent Joiner will go get him for you." He motioned to the rookie agent, and then continued, "Jack is still inside with the paramedics getting checked out, he will be out soon." He noticed the stricken look on their faces and added with a chuckle, "Don't worry, he's fine, just a few bumps. He somehow always manages to come out of these things unscathed."  
  
"Mommy!" Ryan ran as fast as he could toward Kate as soon as he saw her. She scooped him up in a giant bear hug and kissed his face.  
  
"Ryan, thank god you are ok. Did they hurt you?" She checked him out from head to toe, making sure he was fine.  
  
"No mom, I'm fine. Where's dad, they won't let me see him. Hi Amy!"  
  
Amy reached over and ruffled his hair, "Hey sport, I'm glad to see you. You had us all really worried."  
  
Kate set Ryan down and kneeled down next to him and took both of his hands, "Honey, what happened?"  
  
He lowered his head, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to see, and they had big guns, and dad came here and I slipped under the door when the guard wasn't looking, and—"  
  
Kate was confused, "Ryan, slow down, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Kate!" Jack came out of the building limping towards her. She turned and put Ryan's hand in Amy's, then ran to Jack and embraced him tightly, "Jack, don't ever do this to me again. I can't do it anymore." Her hand went to hold the back of his head and she felt the bandages. "Oh my god, what happened?"  
  
He kissed Kate and hugged her again. "It's nothing, I'm fine, just got into a little fight. Where's Ryan?"  
  
"Daddy!" Ryan let go of Amy's hand and ran over to Jack.  
  
Jack leaned in and picked him up, "Hey sport, you really scared me." Jack turned serious, "But if you ever do something like this again, you'll have worse things to worry about than terrorists. If you're lucky, we might let you out of the house before you're thirty."  
  
Kate looked between the two men in her life, she knew she was missing something and demanded, "What's going on you two, what happened?"  
  
He grinned at her and looked down, "Uh, I'll explain on the way home. I think this is going to be a really long conversation, and I need to sit down. Let's get out of here."  
  
Kate looked to Ryan for explanation, but he just looked up at her with his angel face, "I'm sorry mom, I promise I'll never do it again."  
  
Jack walked over to Amy and leaned in to hug her, "Thanks for your help Amy, I owe you."  
  
She looked up at her big brother and joked, "Yeah, again. When am I ever going to collect on all these promises?" Amy hugged him again, "I'm really glad you and Ryan are safe. I'll call Kim and let her know."  
  
Agent Goodrich walked up to the newly reunited family, "Jack, you can debrief at CTU tomorrow. We talked to Ariz and it seemed the only thing they were really after is the money." He shook his head and laughed, "These were the worst terrorists I've ever seen."  
  
Jack nodded his agreement and turned to leave. He asked Kate as they headed towards the car, "What do you think about a nice, long vacation?"

THE END


End file.
